A new paradigm in cancer treatment – combining the effectiveness of targeted therapy and immunotherapy

A new paradigm in cancer treatment – combining the effectiveness of targeted therapy and immunotherapy

Professor Bart Vanhaesebroeck

Professor Vanhaesebroeck is Professor of Cell Signalling at the UCL Cancer Institute in London. Following a PhD from Ghent University, Belgium, he carried out postdoctoral studies at the Ludwig Institute at University College London (UCL) where he was involved in the early gene cloning and characterisation of PI3K family members. His laboratory aims to understand the roles of the PI3K isoforms and to explore their potential as therapeutic drug targets. His team identified PI3K-p110δ as a target in immunity, inflammation and haematological malignancies. His team’s recent discovery, with Dr Klaus Okkenhaug, that inhibition of PI3K-p110δ leads to immuno-stimulation in cancer (Nature 2014:510:407) potentially widens the use of PI3K-p110δ inhibitors to cancer immunotherapy, a concept that is currently being tested in clinical trials. He is an elected member of EMBO and of the UK Academy of Medical Sciences.